With the Great Recession still affecting public service budgets nationwide, libraries continue to pursue new funding avenues. The latest foray into fiscal triage, undertaken by at least two libraries—Toronto (Ont.) Reference Public Library and the Port Chester –Rye Brook (N.Y.) Library—is to allow commercial enterprises to advertise their products and services in the library.

In both cases, the libraries have accepted a quid pro quo from ad placement companies. The firms provide a product for free to the library. In exchange, the company keeps whatever revenue comes from selling the ads displayed on that free product.

Toronto Public Library’s (TPL) arrangement with Receipt Media began this spring as a six-month pilot in which ads appear on the back of every date-due slip. The firm solicits the ads.

Administrators at Port Chester–Rye Brook Library decided to allow ads after having to reduce staffing and service hours in June 2012. Within two months, the library was receiving free two-ply bathroom tissue from the start-up company Star Toilet Paper, which prints on the toilet paper advertising it secures from local vendors. Trackable coupon codes delivered “great scan rates,” company cofounder Bryan Silverman told American Libraries, and now it is “winding down with the library and venturing into larger venues.”

In a March 11 interview on CBC Radio’s “Metro Morning,” TPL Chief Librarian Jane Pyper said the library will save $20,000 Canadian ($19,795 US) over the duration of the pilot—“our annual book budget in a small neighborhood branch.” She stressed how the library board first established a policy that reaffirms TPL’s mission to “provide a broad range of information in a neutral public space” and reserved the right to reject anything deemed “inappropriate,” such as ads aimed at children. “The goal here is to raise revenue in a context that is sensitive to the library environment,” Pyper said.

That’s an outlook Martin Garnar, chair of the American Library Association’s Committee on Professional Ethics, readily agrees with. “We do not advance private interests at the expense of library users, colleagues, or our employing institutions,” he said, quoting Article VI of ALA’s Code of Professional Ethics. “Is the loss of the library’s reputation within the community worth the potential advertising revenue?”

So far, TPL’s reputation seems to be intact. “There has not been a huge response one way or the other” from patrons, Linda Hazzan, director of communications, programming, and customer engagement at TPL, told AL. A few users have voiced philosophical opposition to any such arrangement; one man who filed a complaint with the board has been invited to present his objections in the fall (PDF file). Others say they are comfortable with “unobtrusive advertising that goes to funding programs and services.”

One patron called the ads a “win-win” after finding a pizza coupon on the back of his date-due slip. Other TPL advertisers include a theater company, the Toronto Star, and a personal-injury lawyer.

Garnar cautioned that such arrangements could pose an ethical dilemma. “Would advertisers’ messages appear to give them a place of privilege when a patron asks for a list of all local establishments in that line of business?” he asked.

Join forces

In this increasingly global, interconnected community, the key to success is through partnership and collaboration. No one person or organisation has the skills, tools, talent and resources to provide quality service to all users at all times. For example, Xin Li of Cornell University successfully embarked on several partnerships with China and Taiwan. Don’t forget to organise and network with library professionals – you never know when a new partnership may emerge. Don’t underestimate the value of joining and actively participating in professional organisations such as the International Federation of Library Associations, the American Library Association or other regional associations – or perhaps you might take the lead in helping to establish one in your area. Professional participation helps you to network and connect with others outside your own institution. Tom Nielsen (Metro) recaps how a library organisation was a conduit for its members to bring library research skills and knowhow to non-library communities in New York City.

To thine own self (and patrons) be true

As librarianship is changing, so too are the information needs of our constituents. We must take a long, hard, honest look at those whom we serve and how their needs have shifted in this global, online environment. Where are we succeeding? Where are we falling short? Follow the lead of Matthew Bolen and the team at Denver public library, where they developed learning and language programs to meet the needs of an increasingly Spanish-speaking immigrant population. As Amrita Madray of Adelphi University reminds us, we need to be aware of cultural and language diversity when serving international populations. Just remember: another librarian’s “good idea” is only good for you if it answers the needs of your community. Conducting demographic studies and needs assessments are vital before you begin to create new programs and services.

Embrace creativity

Take a fresh look at the tools and resources already at your fingertips – even the ones that you may believe to be useless. Ben Turner of St John’s University shows us how using the freely accessible but accuracy-compromised Wikipedia can be used to promote information literacy and critical thinking skills.

Get out from behind that desk (figuratively and literally)

Librarianship is a service profession. We should not be wedded to a traditional physical point-of-service model, but must make it possible to announce: “The librarian has left the building.” From Sara Wingate Gray’s insights into the role of itinerant librarians in the digital age to Rachel Wightman’s experiences as librarian in Kampala, Uganda, librarians around the globe have discovered both the challenges and rewards of providing service beyond the walls of the library building.

Share ideas

When a new idea works, tell the world. When a new idea does not work, tell them anyway. Librarians can learn from one another, even in the face of failure. Success stories are wonderful to tweak and replicate in your libraries. Others’ failures can be just as valuable. They often provide precious insights into lessons learned and overcoming obstacles. Either way, share what you have done through publications, presentations, blogs and other forms of social media. A case in point: the Moving Image Media Hub, created by Dorothea Coiffe of the Borough of Manhattan Community College and the City University of New York, has been made freely accessible, allowing it to be a global resource.

Naturally, these are just a few examples of the way librarians are redefining how they serve communities’ changing needs for access, use, creation and preservation of information. Do you have any other examples to add? Please share in the comments.

• For the latest on public services leadership, follow us: @publicleaders

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Teen Tech Weekhas been organised by the Young Adult Library Services Association (Teenagers) of USA since 1998.

Young Adult Library Services Association’s mission is to expand and strengthen library services for teens aged 12-18. This event is organized annually to ensure teenagers use electronic resources effectively and efficiently, specially those which are offered through libraries, e.g DVD, databases, audio books, video games, ebooks, etc . Teens need to know that the library is a trusted resource for accessing information and that librarians are experts who can help them develop skills they need to become competent and ethical users of technologies.

25 Easy Tips for Teens

Looking for easy ways to get teens to celebrate Teen Tech Week? Share the following 25 ideas! Have other easy ideas for getting teens involved in Teen Tech Week at the library? Tell us in the comments!

1.Download an ebook or audiobook from your library

2.Find out if your library has a mobile app for your phone or tablet (like NYPL’s Biblion or WorldCat mobile), download and give it a try

Managing the Managers

By Linda W. Braun Wednesday, 03/27/2013 – 10:37

For best results, learn to speak “administrator”

Sometimes relationships with those up the organizational chart are fantastic. Sometimes they are awful. Whether you work for an angel or a demon, you need to manage the relationship. Since what is required to accomplish that feat is not always obvious, I’ve put together 10 tips for success.

Build relationships. Whenever I talk with library staff about professional collaborations and partnerships, I emphasize that success requires relationship building. It takes time to get to know each other and develop trust. It’s no different with administrators, and it’s not so hard to do. For starters, don’t always talk about youth services. Express interest in and be ready to discuss big-picture library issues. A sure way to help administrators trust you is to be seen as someone who makes good thoughtful decisions, and as someone who gets work done in a timely and efficient manner.

Communicate regularly. It may take some extra time and effort, but make sure you keep administrators informed about what’s going on with youth services. Send an email once a week that summarizes the latest news and statistics about your work. If your supervisor prefers face-to-face communication, schedule monthly or quarterly half-hour meetings to go over the work you are doing. In all of your communications, make sure to think like a manager. That might require using a different vocabulary than you are used to: less youth services–oriented and more business oriented.

Be transparent. I’ve worked with many youth services staffers who think it’s better to fly under the radar and try new initiatives without going through the proper administrator to get approval, or even simply inform them about what’s in the works. But when youth services staff aren’t transparent with administrators about what they are doing and why, they are incapable of helping them understand the value of youth services to the community, or counting them as allies.
For example, instead of simply putting that possibly controversial title on the shelf and hoping your administrator it doesn’t notice, initiate a conversation to explain specifically how the item supports the youth in your community. Such transparency enables administrators to appreciate the thoughtfulness and effectiveness of your policies and decisions.

Focus on solutions. I knew a library school professor who told his management students that they should always go to library directors with solutions, not problems. If something isn’t working in your children’s or teen services, be up-front about that, but also take the time before reporting the problem to consider how to rectify the situation. By presenting the solution along with the problem, you are encouraging your administrator to give you an opportunity to make changes that you know are right for the youth in the community.

Don’t stop at “no.” It is possible to build relationships, communicate regularly, be transparent, and focus on solutions, and still hear “no” from administrators. That doesn’t mean you simply put your tail between your legs and give up. Instead, find out why the answer was “no.” Analyze what you learn and think about ways you might change your request in another week, month, or six months. If you believe what you are requesting is a good idea, then be persistent, do your homework, and go back and ask again with intelligent revisions. “No” can often turn into “yes.”

Think big picture. Whenever I consider thinking about the library big picture, I’m reminded of a small suburban library I once worked in. The director was great, but the staff was displeased with him because he spent a lot of time outside the library. However, he was forging relationships that went a long way towards the library getting what it needed every year at budget time. That director was thinking big picture—but the staff wasn’t.

Set goals and evaluate. Understand why you do every aspect of your work and what you hope to achieve. You need to be able to articulate the goals of every facet, even something as typical as preschool storytime. Your goals should be measurable so you can report whether you are succeeding or need to make changes. In this way, you can tell your administrator, “We set these goals for our storytime and I have data that proves we are meeting them.” Or, “We set these goals for our teen advisory group and I realized we aren’t quite reaching them. The data I have shows that if we were to make these tweaks, we’d be more successful.” Administrators will appreciate a data-based approach that can demonstrate success or failure constructively.

Collect and tell stories. In addition to data, you need to collect stories that tug at the heartstrings and show the positive impact of your work on youth in the community. Make your anecdotes short and sweet, and use them sparingly for best effect. Manage the stories by keeping a database or blog, using searchable tags and categories, so the tale that best illustrates your specific need is always at your fingertips —say, proving the need for technology funding by telling how the computerless teen was only able to win a movie-making contest because of access to resources in the library’s computer lab.

Get involved. It’s easy to get so immersed with the youth you’re serving that you think you don’t have time to be a part of the bigger library or community. The truth is, you can’t afford not to. Make sure your voice is heard in department meetings, on strategic planning committees, and on community boards and committees. Build relationships so that those in other community agencies and organizations already know why your work is essential when you approach them to support a special project.

Always keep the library vision and mission in mind. You don’t work in a vacuum. When you discuss with administrators what you do and why, make sure to tie in how your work supports the overall goals and mission of the library. If you want to expand the YA ebook collection or get more involved in the community, explain how that supports the library’s mission. Show that youth services are important to the library as a whole and to the community at large.

These tips can take some time and effort, but remember that once you have established a relationship of trust with an administrator, she or he will more readily listen to your ideas and trust you as a knowledgeable professional. They may not always understand your ideas, but if you are clear about your vision for service to children or teens, you will have a greater chance to move forward with the services you know the youth in your community deserve.

LINDA W. BRAUNis an educational technology consultant for LEO: Librarians and Educators Online, a professor of practice at the Simmons College library school in Boston, and a past president of ALA’s Young Adult Library Services Association.

The Special Interest Group on International Information Issues (SIG-III) of the American Society for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) is pleased to announce its 13th competition for papers to be submitted for the 2013 Annual Meeting, which will take place in Centre Sheraton, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, November 1-6, 2013. (http://asist.org/asist2013/AM2013CFP.pdf)

Building from the overall conference theme, the theme for this year’s paper contest is: “Beyond the Cloud: Rethinking Information Boundaries”. Papers could discuss issues, policies and case studies on specific aspects of the theme from a global and/orinternational perspective. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following core areas:

There will be up to three winners who will be selected by a panel of judges including: Maqsood Shaheen (IRC, US Embassy Islamabad), Alma Rivera (Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México), and, Fatih Oguz (University of North Carolina at Greensboro).

The judging criteria will be based on:

1.Originality of paper in the developing world and global information ecosystem (originality of the project described, etc.)

2.Relevance to the paper contest theme

3.Quality of argument, presentation and organization

Eligibility & Information for authors

Only papers by a principal author who is a citizen of, and resides in a developing country are eligible. Winners in the 2009-2012 contests are not eligible. The papers should be original, unpublished, and submitted in English. We encourage submissions from librarians, information and network specialists, and educators involved in the creation, representation, maintenance, exchange, discovery, delivery, and use of digital information.

Award

The award for each winner is a two-year individual membership in ASIS&T. In the case of multiple authors, the principal author will be awarded the ASIS&T membership. In addition, depending on SIG III fundraising for this competition, the first place winner will be rewarded a minimum of $1,000 toward travel, conference registration, and accommodations while attending the ASIS&T Annual Conference in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, November 1-6, 2013.

Submitted papers will be considered for inclusion in a special issue of the International

Information and Library Review, subject to the usual peer refereeing process, for that journal.

ASIS&T Copyright Policy

ASIS&T will have the non-exclusive right to publish any of the papers submitted on its web site or in print, with ownership and all other rights remaining with the author.

Deadline for submission of full papers: Authors are invited to submit manuscripts, not to exceed 5,000 words, by May 31, 2013, to Maqsood Shaheen at ShaheenMA@gmail.com, preferably as Microsoft Word or PDF attachments.

Since 1937, the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) has been the association for information professionals leading the search for new and better theories, techniques, and technologies to improve access to information.

ASIS&T brings together diverse streams of knowledge, focusing what might be disparate approaches into novel solutions to common problems. ASIS&T bridges the gaps not only between disciplines but also between the research that drives and the practices that sustain new developments.

ASIS&T counts among its membership some 4,000 information specialists from such fields as computer science, linguistics, management, librarianship, engineering, law, medicine, chemistry, and education; individuals who share a common interest in improving the ways society stores, retrieves, analyzes, manages, archives and disseminates information, coming together for mutual benefit.

Techniques and technologies emerge daily in the fields of library and information science, communications, networking and computer science. Yet information professionals in one discipline are often unaware of key developments in others. What an irony that a field advocating the development, sharing and use of information is itself isolated.

If you don’t like working in isolation, examine what ASIS&T has to offer. This Web site will introduce you to ASIS&T and the ways it can make you a more effective information professional… and more indispensable to your company, institution or organization.

Purpose

The Association seeks to stimulate participation and interaction among its members by affording them an environment for substantive professional exchange. It encourages and supports personal and professional growth through opportunities for members to extend their knowledge and skills, develop and use professional networks, pursue career development goals and assume leadership roles in the Association and in the information community. ASIS&T increases the influence of information professionals among decision-makers by focusing attention on the importance of information as a vital resource in a high-technology age and promotes informed policy on national and international information issues by contributing to the formation of those policies. It supports the advancement of the state-of-the art and practice by taking a leadership position in the advocacy of research and development in basic and applied information science.

To accomplish these goals, ASIS&T edits, publishes, and disseminates publications concerning research and development; convenes annual meetings providing a forum for papers, discussions, and major policy statements; ASIS&T hosted the first Information Architecture Summit and continues to do so annually, holds smaller chapter and special interest meetings, as well as special symposia; and acts as a sounding board for promotion of research and development and for the education of information professionals.

Publications

Individual members, login to the ASIS&T site to access these publications via the ASIS&T Digital Library (books sold separately).

ASIS&T offers conference proceedings from past Annual meetings. These proceeding contain full text, images and power point presentations from annual meeting sessions and are available online at the digital library or at the online bookstore..

The ASIS&T Digital Library is where you will find the above ASIS&T publications online, easily accessible, and in one place. You can search on an individual article or issue, across all publications, current and past.

The prestigious Annual Review of Information Science and Technology (ARIST) will cease publication following the release of Volume 45 (2011). As the hardcover series ends its 45-year run, shorter, tightly focused review articles will begin appearing in The Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (JASIST), also published by ASIS&T. The Annual Review of Information Science and Technology (ARIST) has long been considered a landmark publication within the information science community. It surveys the landscape of information science and technology, providing the reader with an analytical, authoritative and accessible overview of recent trends and significant developments. One volume is published each year. Several volumes are available in the ASIST Digital Library. Editions for 2011 and prior are available from Information Today.

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New ASIS&T Titles from Information Today, Inc.

Information Today, Inc. (ITI) has announced the release ofThe New Digital Scholar: Exploring and Enriching the Research and Writing Practices of NextGen Studentsedited by Randall McClure and James P. Purdy. The book is now available and can be purchased at the ITI bookstore.

The New Digital ScholarExploring and Enriching the Research and Writing Practices of NextGen Students
Edited by Randall McClure and James P. Purdy
Foreword by Alison J. Head and Michael B. EisenbergThe New Digital Scholaropens a discussion long silent in academic circles—that the teaching of research-writing is mired in practices poorly suited for digital natives. Randall McClure, James P. Purdy, and more than 20 contributors offer a call to action in this important and timely book.Reminding readers of the history of the academic research paper and the scope of the recent information explosion, The New Digital Scholarpresents innovative thinking and research on the educational challenges NextGen students face. Writing teachers, library science professionals, and higher education administrators describe teaching methods and research projects suited for the new digital scholar and designed for the information universe NextGen students inhabit.416 pages | hardbound | ISBN 978-1-57387-475-5Price: ASIST Members $47.60

Powering SearchThe Role of Thesauri in New Information Environments
By Ali ShiriHere is a clear and comprehensive treatment of the role of thesauri in search user interfaces across a range of information search and retrieval systems—from bibliographic and full-text databases to digital libraries, portals, open archives, and content management systems.Ali Shiri looks at projects, practices, perspectives, and services from disparate communities, and—drawing on an array of successful applications, usability studies, current research, and firsthand experience—offers practical guidance on using thesauri to build better search engines.336 pages | hardbound | ISBN 978-1-57387-454-0Price: ASIST Members $47.60

You are kindly invited to the Annual General Meeting of the Association of Professional librarians (APL) which will be held on Thursday 27 March 2014 at 14.15 hrs in the Board Room, National Library, Fon Sing Building, Edith Cavell St., Port Louis.

Please note that the Treasurer will be in attendance to collect the subscription fee of Rs 100.
You are also invited to visit the APL blog at the following web address: https://aplmauritius.wordpress.com.

Best regards,

Savita Bhooabul

President

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Dear Members,

The Managing Committee wishes you and all members of your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2014.

Best regards,

Savita Bhooabul

President

APL

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Dear Members,

Please find below the Report of Mr Ibrahim Ramjaun, the President, presented at the Annual General Meeting of APL on 28 March 2013. Please click on the image below for a broader view.

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[IFLA-L] Introducing the IFLA Library – the new repository for managing IFLA’s World Library and Information Congress content

“This improved accessibility to IFLA’s publishing, through the IFLA Library, will bring real benefits to participants at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress, to IFLA members, and to library and information professionals worldwide. I congratulate all those who worked hard to implement this project and I look forward to the further enhancements to come over the next year.”

Genevieve Clavel-Merrin, Chair of the Governing Board’s Repository Working Group welcomed the launch:

“The project Working Group members are all delighted to see this become a reality. The IFLA Library allows IFLA to share, manage, and archive its documents, and I look forward to seeing it grow and develop.”

The IFLA Library is part of IFLA’s Digital Content Programme Key Initiative, and is designed to provide a repository to collect together IFLA’s own publications for ease of location, search, display and preservation. IFLA selected EPrints Services to build and host the repository.

Over 160 papers are already available, and more will be added before the IFLA WLIC 2013 in Singapore, which takes place from 18 – 22 August 2013.

In line with IFLA’s Open Access and Copyright Policy, authors of papers accepted for the Congress have assigned a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported licence (CC BY 3.0) to their work. This licence enables IFLA to make copies of the papers available in its repository and permits the widest possible dissemination and use of the papers.

Following the 2013Congress, presentation slides will also be made available where permission is granted by the speaker.

All content will be discoverable via Google and Google Scholar and development of the IFLA Library platform will continue to enhance the search, browse and help facilities for users.

The IFLA Library is available from the IFLA home page and is also linked from the WLIC programme from where Congress participants can search, read, browse, and download papers.